Time to give electricity the flick?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Time to give electricity the flick?

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3885 posts

Uber Geek

#1709097 25-Jan-2017 01:56

There is a bug in the app which stops data from loading if you open the app when the app is still cached in your phone's memory. You need to go to your phone's switch app screen and clear it from memory.

It works when it displays the white splash screen saying Choice. If it jumps directly to the black loading screen then it won't work.

timmmay

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#1709116 25-Jan-2017 07:21

I've used the Flick app on Android 5 and 6, rooted S4, no problems.

zerkms

115 posts

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#1709183 25-Jan-2017 09:34

Aredwood: There is a bug in the app which stops data from loading if you open the app when the app is still cached in your phone's memory. You need to go to your phone's switch app screen and clear it from memory.

It works when it displays the white splash screen saying Choice. If it jumps directly to the black loading screen then it won't work.

The same here, yep. But instead of "switch app screen and clear it from memory." I just press the OS "back" button, then start it again. It fixes it.

xlinknz

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#1709246 25-Jan-2017 10:56

zerkms:
Aredwood: There is a bug in the app which stops data from loading if you open the app when the app is still cached in your phone's memory. You need to go to your phone's switch app screen and clear it from memory.

It works when it displays the white splash screen saying Choice. If it jumps directly to the black loading screen then it won't work.

The same here, yep. But instead of "switch app screen and clear it from memory." I just press the OS "back" button, then start it again. It fixes it.

Guys I do get the white screen with choice but no data as my early screen shot shows, I've tried restarting the app
& reinstalling with no success. Note the handset runs Huawei emu v4

Any ideas ?

timmmay

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#1709250 25-Jan-2017 11:00

xlinknz:

Guys I do get the white screen with choice but no data as my early screen shot shows, I've tried restarting the app
& reinstalling with no success. Note the handset runs Huawei emu v4

Any ideas ?

I'd just give up. Sign up for alerts using Nodewatch. Their app is really just a view of their website anyway, just browse the website directly on your phone, use a bookmark. The website is better, actually.

It works on my Huawei P9. Anything that doesn't work on a Huawei I blame Emui.

Chis

98 posts

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#1709323 25-Jan-2017 12:43

I'm pretty disappointed with Wellington Electricity's loss of the night rate, and this makes Flick a far less attractive option for me.

I was being careful to put many things overnight and with the loss of the reduced rate during the night, my weekly bills have gone up 30% and leave just 2-3% benefit over a fixed-price retailer. It seems that a single hour $5 spike could use up any Flick benefit over a month or more.

zerkms

115 posts

Master Geek

#1709331 25-Jan-2017 12:47

Chis:

I'm pretty disappointed with Wellington Electricity's loss of the night rate, and this makes Flick a far less attractive option for me.

I was being careful to put many things overnight and with the loss of the reduced rate during the night, my weekly bills have gone up 30% and leave just 2-3% benefit over a fixed-price retailer. It seems that a single hour $5 spike could use up any Flick benefit over a month or more.

I think you need to call flick and ask them exactly what you need to do to get the night rates back, since I still have the `1.8900 c/kWh` night rates (also see the previous page for details).

dolsen

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#1709398 25-Jan-2017 13:54

Chis:

I'm pretty disappointed with Wellington Electricity's loss of the night rate, and this makes Flick a far less attractive option for me.

I'm still on the cheaper overnight rates (though the graphs and app show the more expensive rate). It's a pretty poor move by Wellington Electricity in my opinion. With no change in load / network use, they have insisted that the price plan was changed, just so that they could make more money. One of the great benefits of private ownership of critical infrastructure.

I was previously on the genesis day / night plan before moving to Flick. I am unsure why I still get the good rates, but, I'm not complaining.

TonyS071

57 posts

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Inactive user

#1709500 25-Jan-2017 17:07

The response from Flick was quick.

It said:

Thanks for your email.
To be able to have the night rate we would have to have your meters changed to match this.
This would be changed to the All Inclusive and Night plan, and your controlled devices would then go on the Night Plan.
This can be changed however there is a fee of $161.03 and can take up to 5 business days to complete.

Please also be aware that when this is changed, your hot water cylinder and or night store heater would be controlled for longer, where at the moment you would have it available for 19 hours of the day, this would be reduced to 8-10 Hours. This does mean you would have less hot water available each day.

If you do have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Cheers

James
Customer Experience Advisor
Flick Electric Co.

-=============================

I control my hot water timing myself at the moment, and have it constrained to a greater degree than 8-10 hours a day, so that consideration about hot water supply doesn't worry me in the slightest.

With only 2 of us in the house, allowing the cylinder to go on only between 12pm and 6am hasn't affected our hot water supply at all. It actually saved me approx $3-4 a week looking at recent accounts, so would I achieve payback in about 40 weeks if I went ahead with their offer.

I still have the same timer settings active now, (even though the night rates are the same as day) as it protects me from the hot water cylinder switching on during the day when I figure price spikes are more likely.

I will monitor this for a few more weeks so I can be sure of the pattern, monitor this excellent thread for more commentary,
consider my options with other power suppliers And then make my call on the subject.

timmmay

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#1709511 25-Jan-2017 17:22

That's a really expensive fee just to change back to what Flick and Wellington Electricity had in place recently. I already paid $250 to get a timer installed to run the hot water cylinder in the middle of the night, which had a 2 year payback period, then that was taken away and now a fee charged just to restore what I thought I had in the first place. That's not really on.

My respect and enthusiasm for Flick is declining. Maybe it's time for a new company to offer a similar model.

timmmay

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#1709522 25-Jan-2017 17:39

Rappelle:

It's not really Flick's issue. Their main proposition is passing on the costs and clipping the ticket while still saving you money (generally). Frustration should be aimed at Wellington Electricity.

I can't communicate with WE, just Flick.

miked

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#1709524 25-Jan-2017 17:43

More than that, I suspect that the $161 fee is only for the change to the metering method used. I'm guessing that if you don't have your hot water heater currently wired into your meter for being controlled by Wellington Electric, then there might be a further fee for the re-wiring needed inside your house! (not sure about that though - can anyone confirm either way?).

timmmay

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#1709525 25-Jan-2017 17:47

I already had my hot water wired behind a ripple control system, and I assume the smart meter should be smart enough to distinguish between standard and night rate. Flick arranged my smart meter install. I emailed Flick, I'll report back anything interesting I find.

miked

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#1709528 25-Jan-2017 17:58

Ah. I thought you just had it on your own timer only! All good if you're already wired for ripple control.

I had been considering putting my hot water on my own timer to shift to night-time usage, but looks like it is not worth it now with the changes Wellington Electricity have implemented. Presumably for me to get the cheap overnight pricing, I'd need to get an electrician out for rewiring the hot water onto the smart meter on a different channel somehow (for ripple control), and then also paying the $161 as well to change plans also... as well as the cost of buying (and getting installed) my own timer wired-in so, I have control over it too! I suspect the savings just don't add up to make it worthwhile unfortunately... which is a real shame.

A bit gutting for yourself though, as you'd already paid for the timer to be installed and presumably have had the deal removed before it has paid for itself?

timmmay

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#1709596 25-Jan-2017 20:15

I would save around 40c per day in summer, probably more like $1/day in winter, so that puts the payback period at around 18 months. Avoiding water heating during spikes helps a little more. I got about 4-6 months before WE changed the plan. If I pay the $180 what's to stop them doing it again?

I might send an inquiry to the Electricity Authority and / or my Member of Parliament. If multiple people did maybe it'll get a little attention. I'm sure WE and Flick followed all the rules, but it's not consumer friendly.

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